How does the narrator characterize the Earth throughout the book? How is the Earth viewed by the main characters (Arthur, Ford, Zaphod, and Trillian)? What thematic and/or symbolic significance does Earth have in the novel?

Consider the role of bureaucracy and bureaucrats in the novel. How are they depicted? What is their wider significance?

Compare and contrast the various characters, who often work as foils for one another. How are Arthur and Ford similar or different? How does Zaphod’s character compare and/or contrast to both Arthur and Ford? What role does Trillian or Marvin play in this dynamic?